


Recipe Tips

by GreyLiliy



Category: Pikmin (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy
Summary: Louie tries to make peace with the Koppaites by making them a fruity treat, but despite his best efforts, is met with a furious Brittany and a wasted pie. Alph must do his best to bridge the misunderstanding between the two gourmands.
Relationships: Alph & Louie (Pikmin)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Recipe Tips

**Author's Note:**

> I started a month-long writing challenge, and of course that’s the time I get hit with all sorts of inspiration for other series. *shakes fist at Muse*
> 
> In the middle of my hype for Pikmin 3 Deluxe coming out next week, I was thinking about my favorite little aliens and their food preferences. The existence of Piktamin U, in particular, is interesting (the fact it’s the only substance they can metabolize is a really neat detail).
> 
> With that in mind and the use of creative liberties—you get this story! I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!

“What did you do?” Brittany shrieked across the ship. Alph looked up from his wire diagrams and put down his wrench. The botanist’s face had turned pink in anger, coloring her cheeks as dark as her spacesuit. “You wasted an entire Cupid’s Grenade for this?”

She pointed at a large circular dish—Alph scrunched his face trying to remember. He knew the name of that! It was a treat other species really loved. What was it? A pie! Alph stood and inched closer to hear the argument.

When he got closer he smelled burned Cupid’s Grenade and winced.

“You didn’t even try it,” Louie said, narrowing his eyes together. Captain Olimar and Captain Charlie watched the spectacle from the other side of the table. Louie picked up a plate with a slice of pie on it and held it toward Brittany. “How can you say it was a waste?”

Brittany gritted her teeth together and stomped her feet. “I don’t need to taste it to know you ruined that fruit!”

She seemed to catch herself and snapped her mouth shut. Brittany turned on her heel and stomped away, leaving the common area and disappearing into the rooms of the ship.

“I’m going to go check on her,” Captain Charlie said. He held his hand up and looked between the two Hocotatians before sprinting after Brittany. “Wait! You can talk to me about it!”

Louie dropped the plate on the table and huffed before storming off in the opposite direction, toward the guest quarters on the Drake. Olimar rubbed the back of his neck and served himself a slice of pie, munching on it before putting it down with a wince. Hocotatians never were fond of fruit. He gave Alph a “What can you do?” shrug before collecting his journal and retreating to his room.

Alph approached the table and the fruit pie.

Hocotatians didn’t eat fruit—unless it was Louie, who appeared to eat anything and everything—which meant the dish had been for the Koppaites.

He cut a fresh slice and put it on the plate. Alph took a bite of the cooked dessert and closed his eyes. A burst of new flavor hit his tongue and tasted divine. The flakey texture of the pastry added something special to the unique flavor the cooking process had drawn out of the Cupid’s Grenade.

What an absolute shame the fruit had been wasted to get such a remarkable flavor.

Alph sighed as he finished the slice of pie and set the fork down. He looked toward the door that led to the main Quarters and then over to the Guest Quarters. Brittany would be fine with the Captain helping her.

He’d talk to Louie.

Alph put the pie away so it wouldn’t go bad and made his way to the guest hallway. He saw Olimar in his room, typing away at his journal while occasionally pausing to look at the photos of his family he’d tacked on the wall. Alph was quiet as he walked by until he got to the next door down.

“Louie?” Alph asked, knocking lightly on the door. “May I come in?”

There was no answer, but Alph waited.

A few minutes later, Louie said “It’s open.”

“I’m coming in!”

Alph pushed open the door and stood inside, letting the door shut behind him. He took a few timid steps inside, taking note of the recipe book on Louie’s desk and the notes in the margins about fruit preparation.

The Hocotatian had put a lot of work into that pie.

“I’m sorry Brittany yelled at you,” Alph said. “I’m sure she’ll apologize herself later when she calms down.”

Louie huffed and walked to the desk, slamming the book shut.

“The pie was really good, though!” Alph said, hoping to salvage the mood. “I keep forgetting fruit can taste like that when you prepare it different ways.”

Louie shot him a suspicious look with narrowed eyes.

“But you’re probably wondering why Brittany got so angry,” Alph said, rubbing his arm and leaning on one foot. “It doesn’t excuse her yelling at you, but I think I can explain.”

The Hocotatian sat at his desk and crossed his arms.

“You probably remember that Koppaites only eat fruit, right? That’s why you made a fruit pie for Brittany, I’m guessing.” Alph fidgeted with his fingers. Louie nodded, slow and steady. He bit his lip, shifting in his chair. “That’s because fruit is one of the few substances in the universe that has great quantities of Piktamin U!”

Louie huffed. “What about it?”

“Piktamin U is the only nutrient Koppaites can metabolize,” Alph explained. “Take Pikpik Carrots for example! They have no Piktamin U at all, so if I ate one I’d have a full stomach but it wouldn’t…do anything.”

“I don’t understand.”

“How do I put this?” Alph groaned and threw his head back. “Koppaites can’t get nutrition from anything but Piktamin U. If I was left alone on this ship with nothing but Pikpik Carrots, I’d starve to death even though I was surrounded by food. Koppaites need fruit to live because it has Piktamin U.”

“Okay,” Louie said, nodding. “But I used fruit in the pie. It’s a fruit pie.”

“That you cooked,” Alph said, wincing. He rubbed the back of his head and huffed. “Piktamin U is a very delicate compound. Cooking it causes it to completely deteriorate and fall apart.”

Louie tapped his finger on the desk. “So if you cook a fruit, you get rid of all the nutrients.”

Alph nodded.

“Which is why Brittany said I wasted the fruit,” Louie said, turning to cross his arms on the desk. “I cooked out the Piktamin U.”

“Food waste is a big deal at home with the food shortage, so it still lingers on all our minds,” Alph said. “I think she’ll calm down when she realizes you didn’t know and were trying to do something nice.”

Louie tapped his finger on the desk and huffed.

“Anyway, I tried your pie! It really did taste amazing,” Alph said. He sucked in a breath and dropped his hands, patting his thighs. “I just wish there was a way to enjoy that flavor without ruining its nutritional value.”

Alph swallowed while Louie continued to stare at the wall.

The conversation appeared to be over.

“I’ll leave you alone now,” Alph said. He waved and inched toward the door. “I hope you have a good night!”

“Is there anything else that can get rid of Piktamin U?” Louie asked. “Is it just heat? Or are there other foods that react badly?”

“I’ll be right back!” Alph left Louie’s room and raced back to his own. He searched through his documents until he found one of the recipe books one of his sisters packed with his things just in case “You find the mother-load of fruit!” He held it to his chest and raced back to Louie’s room. “Got it!”

He handed the book to Louie who flipped open the main page.

“One-hundred and one blended juice recipes!” Alph held his arm up. “The fruits are Koppai local varieties, but I’m sure the prep would be the same.”

“Can I borrow this?” Louie asked. “It’s interesting.”

“Sure,” Alph said. “I wasn’t using it anyway. Brittany’s been doing all the blending since the trip started.”

“I noticed.”

As a fellow chef, it must have been frustrating for Louie to let Brittany do all the “cooking.” He had so many of his own recipes written out for the local fauna, he must really love to prepare food!

“Thanks for making the pie, Louie!” Alph said, tapping back to the door. “I’m sorry it didn’t get more appreciated.”

“You’re welcome,” Louie mumbled. He turned another page in the book and said, “Night.”

Alph grinned and tapped out of the room. Olimar gave him a smile as he passed, along with a tiny thumbs up. Alph flushed and returned to his own hallway. Captain Charlie stood in the middle rubbing his cheek with a huff.

“Are you okay, Captain Charlie?”

“Great!” Captain Charlie said, standing up straight. “Off to bed with you now! We all need a good night’s sleep after all that excitement.”

Alph nodded and went to his own room—what had that been about?

He went to sleep without an answer and forgot about it by the time he woke up.

Space continued to pass them by outside the window as they returned home to their respective planets and Alph admired the view before joining the others in the common room.

Brittany stood in the center of the room with a dazed look on her face, and a tiny line of drool next to her mouth. She had a cup in her hand with a bright liquid inside. Louie stood on her other side, grinning wide next to a larger pitcher full of the stuff—he must have gotten to work quick on that fruit blending! Alph got closer and inhaled, smelling something sweet and mouth watering.

“Alphie! You have to try this!” Brittany shouted when she saw him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the table. She picked up the pitcher and poured the substance into a cup, shoving it into Alph’s hand. “It’s amazing.”

Alph took a sip and his tongue exploded with flavor. “Wow!”

“Like it?” Louie asked. He turned his head to the side with a grin, looking smug and cheerful at the same time. “It’s chock full of Piktamin U.”

“It’s delicious!” Alph said. He pressed his lips together. “How’d you make it?”

“That’s my secret,” Louie said, putting a finger up to his mouth. “Though I might be willing to give Brittany pointers if she asks nicely.”

Brittany slammed the cup on the table. “You’re the one who’ll be asking me for pointers when I make something better!”

“Challenge accepted.”

The two raced away from the table and headed to the kitchen, both mumbling under their breaths about the best fruit to use and what would compliment what.

Alph stood with the blended breakfast mixture, smiling under his breath. He handed Captain Charlie a cup, who also greatly enjoyed the treat, before offering one to Captain Olimar. 

“I’ll decline,” Captain Olimar said. “I think I’m going to sneak into the kitchen and make a Pikpik Carrot shake for breakfast. I haven’t had one in ages.”

Captain Olimar squeezed his way into the kitchen, dodging Brittany and Louie as they fought over ingredients and blending utensils.

“It’s good to see them having fun,” Captain Charlie said. He smacked Alph on the back and nodded toward the other half of the ship. “You know, while they’re busy it might be a good time for you to show me the maintenance routine for the Drake. We haven’t had time for it lately.”

“Will do, Captain!”

Alph was happy to spend time with Captain Charlie, feeling lighter than he had in days knowing that the entire crew was finally getting along.


End file.
